Peas Are A Problem

It is growing! Lettuce is easy to spot, but now I can actually identify tomato plants, carrots, broccoli, and green beans. This may not seem like a huge feat, but as a new gardener, it’s a pretty big deal to me. I have so much to learn! I’m still trying to figure out the peas. The reason peas are a problem is because of the mountain. When my granddaughters, Senna and Adina, helped plant the garden, Adina decided to build a “pea mountain”. After placing the seeds carefully into the ground, she excitedly piled a large mound of dirt on top.

Senna and Adina celebrating the planting.

Since this is a learning season, I let the mountain be. After all, having fun is part of the purpose, and I’ll be thrilled to eat even one vegetable from our box garden. However, I’ve been surprised by all sorts of green things popping up from that mountain. I haven’t identified pea plants yet, so I’ve just been pulling out anything that I’m positive is a weed.

My intention is to learn in every circumstance. So, here are a few things I’ve learned from my garden:

~ Weeds are much easier to pull out when they are small.

~ An inviting environment brings worms, and worms help gardens by loosening the soil.

~ Water is needed. Often.

~ You can tell a weed from a vegetable by knowing what the vegetable looks like.

~ Lots of stuff I don’t understand is happening unseen, under the soil. Good, growing stuff.

~ Plants need space to stretch out. If they’re too crowded, they won’t grow properly.

I’m learning a lot of life lessons from this as well, as you can probably figure out.

~ Weeds in my life are more easily gotten rid of before they grow big.

~ Worms may not be cuddly, but they sure are useful. Are there any “worms” in your life?

~ Water is needed. Jesus is the living water.

~ Knowing truth helps us spot lies.

~ Even when I don’t understand, I can have faith and trust that God is working.

~ There is plenty of space for us all to grow.

I love sharing this gardening experience with my granddaughters. What have you been doing lately, and what are you learning from it?

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Intend to learn in every circumstance.

We finished planting

Baby green bean plants

Bigger green bean plants

Lettuce (we already tasted it – yum!)

Adina

Senna

Flying Dirt

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The dirt was flying! Some was landing back in the garden, some landed in Senna, her sister’s hair, some landed outside the box. Adina (my almost 4-year-old granddaughter) was having a blast playing/working in our box garden. She helped dig out rocks and get the soil ready. I love her enthusiasm in everything!

My Mike built the box. I dug out all the grass and roots that I could see to get our garden spot ready. Mike and our two granddaughters dug out the rocks. As the box garden project continues, I am excited that I have seeds to plant: green beans, peas (Adina’s request), broccoli (Senna’s request), lettuce, and carrots. I hope to pick up tomato plants, too. Any of you experienced gardeners, I’d welcome tips, advice, and suggestions, by the way!

The thing about all that flying dirt is that it was messy and even chaotic, but so much fun! Life is messy, too. There are always things we can control and things we cannot. Everyone is in a bit of a messy situation right now, it seems. It will be okay, though. We will get cleaned up and move forward. It may not be easy, but it may actually lead to some great things.

On another day out by our garden, Adina and Senna were taking a break and sitting on top of some bags of soil we were getting ready to add to the box. Mike was digging and spreading out some dirt we had already added. Suddenly Adina called out in a loud voice, “Dig, I say; dig, I say!”. We were cracking up, laughing. Thinking about this afterwards, she is right. We should be digging, doing what we can, continuing on, planting, and enjoying it along the way.

Keep living. Do what matters. Do what counts. Jesus cares for us. He stepped into the midst of our messy brokenness and experienced it Himself. He loves us and intervened to rescue us for forever. That is what the Easter season is all about. Jesus is with us and gives calm in the midst of chaos and peace in the midst of panic.

Later, on that dirt flying day in the garden, our granddaughters had just as much fun getting cleaned up as they did getting dirty. Let’s be like them and seek out the joy of living in each moment as it comes along!

Do what matters.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Dare to Do It

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I have never done it before, and I’m not really sure what I’m doing. Nonetheless, I’m excited about it. The “it” is planning and planting a box garden. Ever since we moved out of a townhouse into a house with a yard a few years ago, I’ve wanted to plant tomatoes and some other vegetables. A box garden is something I’d never heard of until recently. After doing a little research, a box garden seems like the best option for us.

My husband, Mike, can verify that I do not have a green thumb. At all. I once killed a cactus, and I didn’t even think that was possible. Apparently, you can over water or under water anything, even a cactus. Despite this poor track record, I am hopeful that this summer we will be enjoying homegrown tomatoes, peas, and green beans. I realize it takes more than wanting it, researching, and planning. That is all good, but it means nothing without action. I hope to take action soon, and I’ll let you know how it goes. By the way, feel free to pass along any tips and encouragement to help this novice.

The potential site of our vegetable garden.

Is there something you’d like to do or try? Go for it! Life is meant to be lived fully. Even if you’re unsure of the outcome, dare to do it. Just as I’m sure I’ll gain something from my gardening attempt, you will gain from branching out and trying new things. You may even find the joy of a new skill that you didn’t know you had!

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

Dare to do it!

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